Potential positive effects of bariatric surgery on healthcare resource utilisation.

Background: To determine whether a bariatric surgical procedure is associated with a reduction in healthcare utilisation among patients with obesity and high pre-procedural healthcare needs.

Methods: Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary Victorian public hospital.

A Pre-Hospital Patient Education Program Improves Outcomes of Bariatric Surgery.

Background: We designed an assessment and education program which was delivered to patients prior to first outpatient appointment for bariatric surgery. We hypothesised that this program would streamline care and would lead to improved weight loss following bariatric surgery.

Methods: The program incorporates a structured general practitioners (GP) review, a patient information evening and an on-line learning package.

Missed immunisation opportunities in emergency departments in northern New South Wales, Australia.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of children less than 12 months of age presenting to Hunter New England (HNE) emergency departments (EDs) during 2009 who were overdue for immunisations and identify factors associated with overdue status.

Methods: The immunisation status of all children aged between 3 months and 1 year (120-365 days) who presented at an HNE ED between 1 January and 31 December 2009 was determined using Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) 30-day overdue reports. The ED dataset and ACIR reports were linked using a deterministic method.

Antiviral distribution data--a potential syndromic surveillance system to assist pandemic health service operational planning.

A pilot study was conducted in rural northern New South Wales from 15 July to 28 August 2009, during Australia's Protect Phase response to the Influenza A H1N1 California 7/09 pandemic. This study explored the feasibility of using administrative data, generated from the distribution of stockpiled antivirals, as a syndromic surveillance system. The purpose was to identify recently affected towns or those with increasing influenza-like illness activity to assist in rural health service operational planning.